In June, I reviewed FAU’s Festival Rep’s delightful production of Neil Simon’s rarely produced 1988 couples farce, Rumors. And now, in July, I have the privilege of reviewing Pembroke Pines Theatre of Performing Arts (PPTOPA)’s excellent presentation of Simon’s 1968 megahit, PLAZA SUITE, whose rather recent (2022) Broadway revival was enthusiastically received by both audiences and critics. That one starred real-life superstar couple Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker. Of course, back in the day, many of us watched the 1971 film headlined by Walter Matthau with Maureen Stapleton, Barbara Harris and Lee Grant. Though Simon served as screenwriter, he wasn’t all that happy with the results.
Happily, this summer in South Florida, we were given the rare opportunity of seeing two of one of our most popular and prolific playwright’s couples comedies. Though penned twenty years apart, both plays have endured the test of time with their clever dialog, recognizably quirky upper- and upper-middle-class characters and, of course, ongoing hilarity.
Nothing beats escaping Florida’s oppressive heat and even more oppressive political climate than luxuriating in a well-air-conditioned theater while allowing ourselves the release of laughter at common relationship foibles of, I hope, a bygone era. Skits that practically illustrate John Gray’s famous 1992 book, “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus” when cultural battles were “simply?” between the sexes and not reflective, as today, of a comprehensively divisive society. We’re also lucky to still have good shows playing at a time when most larger theater companies have closed up shop till the next fall season.
Even if I weren’t on the verge of becoming a very-late-to-the-party Neil Simon fan, I’d run to see Plaza Suite simply because of the play’s location. Manhattan’s iconic Plaza Hotel holds a special place in my heart. It’s where my future husband, brilliant writer and theater critic Jesse J. Leaf, took me on our first date! OK, get that smirk off your face – not to a suite, but to the hotel’s extremely elegant dining room for Sunday Brunch. It’s where I experienced my first Eggs Benedict (never to be duplicated, anywhere, since, though I admit it likely had something to do with the magic of the moment). Hmm… After all these years, I just asked him if he’d seen Plaza Suite before; he had. Which now makes me wonder if the play had a role in his date inspiration. But at least we didn’t need to return to try to get the magic back – like Act 1’s unhappy couple. I think I’ll stick with my memories of that one perfect breakfast followed by a stroll in Central Park.
PPTOPA’s Plaza Suite is expertly directed by Jerry Jensen (who also served as sound designer) in a well-paced production that’s loyal to Simon’s script by featuring three acts and two intermissions (total running time about two-and-a-half hours). Two primary actors, a man and a woman, play different roles in each act. I found their characters to be somewhat similar in Acts 1 and 3 – as in confrontational, unhappily married husbands and wives – but their dramatic circumstances were completely different. Their outward appearance varied as well – especially that of the female character whose alternating hair color and dress (great wig selection and costuming by Dana Fredebaugh) made her practically unrecognizable from one act to the next.
Celebrated, highly experienced local star Lory Reyes (who plays Karen, Muriel, and Norma consecutively in Acts 1, 2, and 3) even changed her body posture, along with physical expressions and verbal styles, as she depicted a new character in each act. Watching Lory Reyes subsume herself in each of these quick-changing, emotionally charged and dialog-heavy roles is a wonder to behold, and alone worth the price of admission!
Reyes’ costar, Alan Goodman, plays somewhat similar wife-criticizing, male chauvinistic roles in Acts 1 and 3 and, other than costuming, is completely recognizable as a middle-aged grouch or, even in Act 2, in his flashier persona as a seductive “Big Shot” Hollywood producer. But those are his assigned parts (as Sam, Jesse, and Roy) and he performs them with aplomb despite being rather new on the scene (he’s been working as a local actor only since 2023). Goodman did, however, enjoy an impressive earlier creative career at TV networks as creator, producer and writer, and at his own ad agency. In keeping with our more enlightened times, PPTOPA also engaged intimacy choreographer Nicole Perry.
Secondary characters shine in their roles, as well. Notably NSU communications and theatre senior Ashley Goehmann who plays Sam’s secretary Jean, in Act 1, and appears briefly as uncooperative bride Mimsey, in Act 3. We also briefly meet Steven Guez as a Bellhop in Act 1 and Mimsey’s groom in Act 3. And Nicholas Palazzo’s Waiter in Act 1 adds humor and nervous energy when he delivers Room 719’s screwed-up dinner order, and later valiantly tries to adapt to changes in their anniversary celebration.
I hope I’ve whet your appetite for what’s to come. Here are a few more details about the scenes. All three acts take place in Suite 719 of the Plaza Hotel, at different check-in times. The living room stage-set is elegantly decorated in mid-century opulent style with bright yellow walls and sheer white draperies hanging from tall windows. Ornate sofas and chairs front an implied hall and doors leading to an unseen bedroom and bathroom. Credit for bringing a Plaza Hotel suite to life in Pembroke Pines goes to set designer John Blessed and lighting designer Michael Graham, with props by stage manager Lisa McFadden-Murphy.
The program describes Act 1 as “A middle-aged couple struggles to rekindle their romance.” To be fair, it’s only half of the couple (the wife) who even cares, while the other half can’t wait to get back to a pending big deal at work and sees all this anniversary nonsense as an unwelcome distraction. Sam argues with Karen that she hasn’t even booked the correct anniversary date. He puts down his admittedly number-challenged wife for getting her dates and years mixed up, and not even knowing her age, then yells that she should at least make herself younger, not older. For Sam refuses to admit he’s aging, and has put himself on a strict exercise and diet regimen despite his wife’s insistence that she “likes flabby.”
Karen says they were married on “December 14, 24 years today,” while Sam insists they were married “23 years on December 15.” She even got their room number wrong; he looks out the window to confirm they’d been spying on a couple in a window across, one floor up, during their honeymoon when they occupied Room 819, not 719. But that’s far from the ultimate shocking revelation that I won’t spoil here.
Act 2 is perhaps the weakest of the three (and one the photographer didn’t shoot). A shame, because I would have loved to share how striking Lory Reyes as Muriel looked in her sleek blonde bob. The program describes Act 2 as “A movie producer attempts to seduce his old flame.” That’s true. Though this “flame” is Jesse’s old high-school girlfriend from Tenafly, New Jersey, now living the traditional married life with husband and daughter in the suburbs. She claims she’d only responded to Jesse’s hotel room invitation for a brief catch up, then keeps asserting her need to return home to cook dinner for her husband and can’t stay long.
But Muriel’s “return” time keeps changing, and it’s soon obvious she’s obsessed with her famous ex, having kept up with all his doings, personal and professional, through the days’ tabloids. Meanwhile, Producer Jesse sees her as a pure and innocent counterpart to his greedy ex-wives who’ve taken him for a fortune during their divorce. Between you and me, we can’t be quite sure about who is seducing whom.
Act 3 wraps up the theme of Suite 719 couples’ confrontations by jumping forward to the next generation. Aptly described as “A couple’s daughter locks herself into the bathroom on her wedding day,” the scene first centers on the distraught – verging on hysterical – mother-of-the-bride attempting to coax her daughter out. (They’ve got a time-reserved wedding, with food and guests waiting in the downstairs ballroom, and Norma worries if she gets her husband involved, he’ll blame her for the fiasco.)
Of course, he does, when Norma finally calls Roy for help. It’s sadly funny to watch how they flip from cajoling concern to angry threats and back again … even attempting to break door down the door. As the livid father-of-the-bride, every other word out of Roy’s mouth is about how much this wedding is costing. He goes on to complain (and we can sympathize here) that they gave their 21-year-old daughter everything! She’d graduated from an elite university and after two years of begging for a fancy wedding to her boyfriend Bordon, NOW, when everything’s set, she’s calling it off? Humiliating the family, ruining their finances, and on and on.
Roy practically breaks his hand trying to break down the door, then risks his life walking on the outside ledge in the rain to get to his daughter through the bathroom window. Again, I’ll refrain from spoilers. Only to say I didn’t expect a Neil Simon comedy to have me holding my breath during a life-or-death crisis.
PLAZA SUITE, playing only through July 27, is sure to entertain, make you laugh, maybe get you thinking about how much relationships have changed and yet, in many ways, still stay the same. Grab your chance to see one of Neil Simon’s most popular comedies presented by Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts at the Susan B. Katz Theater, River of Grass Arts Park, 17195 Sheridan Street, Pembroke Pines 33331. For tickets, head to www.pptopa.com or call 954-890-1868.
